Chadian police fire tear gas to disperse anti-French protest
N’DJAMENA (Reuters) – Chadian police fired tear fuel and used water canon to disperse lots of of protesters who took to the streets of the capital and different cities in an anti-French protest that noticed the destruction of some French-linked companies.
The protest was referred to as by Chadian civil society coalition Wakit Tamma to denounce France’s backing of the Transitional Navy Council that seized energy following the battlefield demise of President Idriss Deby in April 2021, a spokesman stated.
Deby’s son Mahamat Idriss is main the army transition which is but to timetable a return to constitutional rule.
“We’re demonstrating in opposition to France for its assist for the transitional army council,” stated Mahmoud Moussa, a highschool trainer within the Chadian capital who joined the protest.
A spokesman for the transitional authorities couldn’t be reached for remark.
Protesters vandalised a number of petrol stations in N’djamena operated by French oil main TotalEnergies. Some torched French flags, whereas a Russian flag was hoisted on a mast in central N’djamena, in response to a Reuters reporter.
As France’s affect wanes in its former colonies, current protests in nations equivalent to Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have seen requires elevated army ties with Russia as a substitute of France.
Chad is seen as a robust ally of the west within the struggle in opposition to Islamist militants within the area. A number of Western nations, together with France, keep troops at bases within the nation.
Chad’s capital is the central command hub for France’s counter-terrorism operation for the West Africa area. Round French 1,000 troops are primarily based there.
The French embassy in N’djamena was not instantly obtainable to touch upon the protest.
Final week, the embassy denied a hearsay that France was planning to put in new French army bases in Chad, calling it an try at misinformation.
(Reporting by Madjiasra Nako; Writing by Bate Felix; Enhancing by Christina Fincher)
